The Inquisition in Brazil began in the colonial period. At the time when Brazil was discovered, the movement took place - since the twelfth century - in France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Since it was necessary to fight heresy (threat to Christian doctrine) also in their respective colonies, the movement extended to them, thus reaching our country between the 16th and 18th centuries.
The Inquisition, through the Court of the Holy Office , was a movement of the Roman Catholic Church created to fight heresy, in which alleged heretics were tried and tortured.
How the Inquisition happened
Although the control of the Inquisition was present in Brazil, its development differs from what happened in Portugal, where the Tribunal do Santo Oficio was installed.
1. Visits of the Inquisitors
Brazil received visits from inquisitors whose objective was to investigate behavior and inhibit any practice that is alien to the principles established by the church. Historically, there are three or four visits:the first between 1591 and 1595, the second between 1618 and 1621, the third between 1627 and 1628 and the fourth, supposedly, between 1763 and 1769.
The first inquisitor in Brazil was called Heitor Furtado de Mendonça. The inquisitors, in turn, appointed clerics who would be responsible for controlling the habits and customs of this Portuguese colony, whose main objective was to exterminate any adverse practice of Catholicism.
2. Heresy Investigations and Practices
Not only were the priests instructed to observe the behavior of the faithful; in addition to these, anyone could accuse another, even anonymously, which allowed for revenge between neighbors or relatives as a result of daily disagreements.
There was a list prepared by the church which included those considered crimes of heresy, which included witchcraft, Jewish practices, bigamy, adultery, sodomy, among others.
Thus, the main persecuted, those considered heretics (threat to Christian doctrine) were healers and especially converted Jews - the new Christians - who were believed to keep their religious customs hidden.
It is worth remembering that the first inhabitants of Brazil were the Indians whose practices of curing diseases were being disseminated by the new inhabitants and which gave rise to the healers, then persecuted.
As for the new Christians (Jews) they had been forced to convert in Portugal, but having many fled to Brazil, Portugal believed that distant ones would have the opportunity to return to Judaism practicing their faith and having space for its dissemination.
As soon as there was suspicion, the appointed clerics opened cases (about a thousand were opened in Brazil), then people were arrested - often without knowing the crime they were accused of - and extradited to Portugal to be tried and tortured through of methods like the wheel or the pole or even death at the stake.
Learn more about the methods and general characteristics of this movement at Inquisition.
Inquisition Museum in Brazil
In August 2012, the Museum of the History of the Inquisition of Brazil was opened in Belo Horizonte. In this capital, the 31st of March was created in memory of the victims of the Inquisition.
The Museum has a video room and a library where there are original documents from the time of the Inquisition, as well as replicas that were made of torture equipment.